Fireplace heat recovery system

ABSTRACT

The filtered aromatic fireplace heat recovery system may include an intake blower that intakes air from a room; a heat exchanging means that receives and heats air from the intake blower; and an output blower that evenly distributes the heated air into a room. In some embodiments, the system may include a filter means located within the intake blower and/or the output blower that filters pollutants, particulates, offensive odors, and toxins given off by the fuel burned within the fireplace. The system may also include a fragrance dispensing means located within the intake blower and/or the output blower to distribute a desired fragrance within a room.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an improved fireplace heat recovery system.More particularly, this invention relates to an improved fireplace heatrecovery system that optionally provides the ability to dispensefragrance into a room while also filtering the impurities produced bythe combustion of fuel within a fireplace.

Conventional fireplaces typically loose between 60 to 80 percent of theheat they generate up the fireplace's chimney. The prior art containsseveral forced air fireplace heaters having blowers for circulating airthrough a heat exchanger within a fireplace and then into a room. Thesetypes of heat recovery systems often employ fans in order to circulateheated air for a more even heating of the air within the room. However,the prior art fails to address some of the disadvantages associated withthe use of a fireplace.

One such disadvantage comes from the use of wood as a fuel. When wood isignited it produces energy in the form of heat along with severalbyproducts. These byproducts include compounds of hydrogen, carbon,oxygen, char (which is nearly pure carbon), and ash (which is all of theunburnable minerals in the wood (e.g., calcium, potassium, etc.)). Thesebyproducts may pollute the interior of a home, produce offensive odors,and may even be toxic to persons within the home.

It therefore would be desirable to provide an improved fireplace heatrecovery system that provides even heat distribution within a room andovercomes the disadvantages associated with the use of the fireplace notaddressed by the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvedfireplace heat recovery system that provides even heat distributionwithin a room while reducing/filtering the level of pollutants,particulates, offensive odors, and toxins given off by the fuel burnedwithin a fireplace.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improvedfireplace heat recovery system that allows a user to choose a particularfragrance to circulate within a room.

In accordance with the present invention, a fireplace heat recoverysystem is provided. The fireplace heat recovery system may include anintake blower that intakes air from a room; a heat exchanging means thatreceives and heats air from the intake blower; and an output blower thatevenly distributes the heated air into a room. In one embodiment thesystem may include a filter means located within the intake blowerand/or the output blower that filters pollutants, particulates,offensive odors, and toxins given off by the fuel burned within thefireplace. The system may also include a fragrance dispensing meanslocated within the intake blower and/or the output blower to distributea desired fragrance within a room.

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will become apparent upon consideration of the followingdetailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings in which like reference characters refer to like partsthroughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of an illustrative embodiment of afireplace heat recovery system that may be used for performing thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 shows an illustrative embodiment of a heat exchanging means thatmay be used for performing the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an illustrative embodiment of a heat exchanging means thatmay be used for performing the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows an illustrative embodiment of a heat exchanging means thatmay be used for performing the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows an illustrative embodiment of a heat exchanging means thatmay be used for performing the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows an illustrative embodiment of a heat exchanging means thatmay be used for performing the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows an illustrative embodiment of a heat exchanging means thatmay be used for performing the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a preferred embodiment of system 100according to the invention. System 100 may include intake blower 10,heat exchanging means 40, and output blower 50. System 100 may operateas follows: Unheated air from a room may be brought into system 100using intake blower 10. Intake blower 10 may be a portable fan/blower orany other suitable device capable of drawing in unheated air from asurrounding environment. Input blower 10 and output blower 50 (asdescribed below) may be designed to attach to a fireplace screen, afireplace mantle, or be a freestanding.

After drawing in unheated air from a room, intake blower 10 may transferthe air to heat exchanging means 40 via tube means 20. Tube means 20 maybe, for example, a rigid or flexible metal tube, ceramic tube, or anyother tube of suitable construction designed to withstand hightemperatures that may be detachably coupled in any suitable manner toboth intake blower 10 and heating element means 40.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the unheated air is received by heat exchangingmeans 40, the air may be indirectly exposed to the heat energy producedby the combustion of fuel within the fireplace. As shown in FIGS. 2through 7, heat exchanging means 40 may include one or more aircirculation tubes 200 and one or more heating tubes 300. Air circulationtubes 200 may be solid and/or flexible tubes that run along the internalhorizontal axis and along one or more internal horizontal planes of heatexchanging means 40. Air circulation tubes 200 may be constructed frommetal, ceramics, or any other suitable material designed to withstandtemperatures found in standard wood burning and/or gas fireplaces. Thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that the number of horizontal planesthat air circulation tubes 200 run through directly corresponds to thetime that the unheated air is exposed to the heat energy produced in thefireplace, thus, also corresponding to the temperature of the heatedair.

As mentioned above, heat exchanging means 40 may include one or moreheating tubes 300. Heating tubes 300 may be holes bored within heatingexchanging means 40 that may be coplanar across a plurality ofhorizontal planes of heat exchanging means 40. Heating tubes 300 mayprovide an additional means for the heat energy produced within afireplace to transfer to the air circulating within air circulationtubes 200.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4-7, heating element means 40 may includecoupling means 30. Coupling means 30 may be used to couple tube 20 toheat exchanging means 40. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when heatingelement means 40 comprises a plurality of air circulation tubes 200,coupling means 30 may couple tube 20 to four air circulation tubes 200.

Referring back to FIG. 1, once heated, the air within heat exchangingmeans 40 may then be transferred to output blower 50 via a secondcoupling means 30 and a second tube 20. Output blower 50 may be aportable fan/blower or any other suitable device capable of drawingheated air from heat exchanging means 40 and dispensing such heated airto the surrounding environment. In some embodiments, output blower 50may be coupled to an oscillation means 80 to more evenly distributeheated air within a room. Those skilled in the art will appreciate thatthe intake suction created by intake blower 10 and the output forcecreated by output blower 50 generate a continuous flow of air throughsystem 100 that evenly and continuously heats and distributes heated airinto a room.

Although not shown, some embodiments of system 100 may optionallyinclude either input blower 10 or output blower 50 to dispense heatedair into a room. For example, system 100 may function as describedabove, however, in the case where system 100 only includes input blower10, system 100 will be a push system (i.e., intake blower 10 pushes airthrough system 100). In the case where system 100 only includes outputblower 50, system 100 will be a pull system (i.e., output blower 50pulls air through system 100).

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 4-7, heat exchanging means 40 maybe externally constructed to resemble one or more pieces of firewood inorder to provide a more natural and aesthetically pleasing device.

In some embodiments, intake blower 10 and/or output blower 50 mayincorporate filter means 65. Filter means 65 may be, for example, ahigh-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter and/or an activated carbonair filter. The incorporation of these filters are designed to assist incapturing the odorous and gaseous contaminates produced by thecombustion of fuel within the fireplace.

In some embodiments, intake blower 10 and/or output blower 50 mayincorporate fragrance dispensing means 70. Fragrance dispensing means 70may be, for example, a disposable scented cartridge, refillable scentedoil tray, or any other suitable means for dispensing one or more desiredfragrances into a room utilizing the airflow within system 100.

As shown in FIG. 5, some embodiments of system 100 may include heat sinkmeans 22. Heat sink means 22 may be a device located on or within tube20 to prevent heat generated in the fireplace from conducting along tube20 to intake blower 10 and/or output blower 50.

Thus, a fireplace heat recovery system is provided. Persons skilled inthe art will appreciate that the described embodiments are presented forthe purpose of illustration rather than limitation and that the presentinvention is limited only by the claims that follow.

1. A fireplace heat recovery system comprising: an intake blower; a heatexchanging means; a first tube means that is detachably coupled to theintake blower and the heat exchanging means; an output blower; a secondtube means that is detachably coupled to the heat exchanging means andthe output blower; at least one filter means located in one of theintake blower, the output blower, and the intake and output blower; andat least one fragrance dispensing means located in one of the intakeblower, the output blower, and the intake and output blower.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein heat exchanging means further includes aplurality of heating tubes coplanar across and through at least onehorizontal plane of the heat exchanging means.
 3. The apparatus of claim2, wherein the heat exchanging means further includes at least one aircirculation tube that is located across an internal horizontal axis ofthe heat exchanging means.
 4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the heatexchanging means further includes a plurality air circulation tubes thatare coplanar across at least one horizontal plane heat exchanging means.6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output blower is coupled to anoscillation means.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filter meansincludes a HEPA filter.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filtermeans includes an active charcoal filter.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the fragrance dispensing means is a scented disposablecartridge.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fragrancedispensing means is a refillable scented oil tray.
 11. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the fragrance dispensing means is a disposable timedelayed fragrance dispensing unit.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe first and the second tube means are flexible fire resistant metaltubes.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and the secondtube means are rigid fire resistant metal tubes.
 14. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the first and the second tube means are fire resistantceramic tubes.
 15. A fireplace heat recovery system comprising: anintake blower; a heat exchanging means, wherein the heat exchangingmeans has an ornamental exterior design to resemble at least one pieceof firewood; a first tube means that is detachably coupled to the intakeblower and the heat exchanging means; an output blower; a second tubemeans that is detachably coupled to the heat exchanging means and theoutput blower; at least one filter means located in one of the intakeblower, the output blower, and the intake and output blower; and atleast one fragrance dispensing means located in one of the intakeblower, the output blower, and the intake and output blower.